Tufting button



Sepa 6,1932. R. C. ANSQN' 1,815,628

TUF'TING BUTTON Filedl Nov. 15. 1928 gwoemto/c Fa C Ma man PatentedSept. 6, 1.932

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOY C. MAN SON, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR ATO THE F. A. NEIDER COMPANY, OF AUGUSTA, KENTUCKY, ACORPORATION 0F KENTUCKY y TUFTING' BUTTON Application'led November 15,1928. Serial No. 319,642.

This invention relates to a novel form of tufting button for use inupholstery work and the like and has for an object the provision of arigid structure which is inexpensive of manufacture and which is veryeasy to use 'so that much time and effort is saved in upholstery work.

Another object is to provide a button of this class that is especiallyeffective in the fabrication of upholstered sprin'o' cushions.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein anddisclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a combined fastener and head receivingmeans of the button of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a completed device of theinvention.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view showing the construction of the deviceof the invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental section of an upholstered spring cushion having atufting button of the invention operatively embodied therein.

Heretofore tufting buttons were made up of a number of pieces usuallycomprising a shell with a wire eyelet clamped therein, a cap forreceiving the shell and serving to bind a covering material about thecap and between the shell and cap and a separate fastener clip which wasmanually inserted in the eye of the button after that e e portion hadbeen passed through the upho stery. In the case of spring upholstery itwas necessary to additionally fasten this clip to some part of thespring structure. The simplicity of the device of the present inventionwill be appreciated when contrasting the usual structure just describedwith the following device.

The device comprises a combined ring and fastening clip formed of onepiece to which the shell and the covering material are rigidly clampedby crimping the edges of the shell around a portion of the fastener. Asshown in Fig. 1 the fastener structure comprises a formed wire memberwhich is turned to provide a ring 7 from which integral struts 8 and9'extend in the plane of the ring to substantially the center thereofwhereupon the respective elongated ends 10 and 11 are turned upvertically to the plane of the ring. The end 11v is a straight memberwhich may consequently be provided with a point 12. The end 10 is curvedto provide a downwardly opening hook 13. A simple metallic shellcomprising a bottom 14 and a flange 15 is adaptedl to receive the ring 7and to have the edges of the fiange 15 crimped or turned part way aboutthe ring. This effects a very solid joinder of parts which will notseparate even under the most severe abuse. A cover fabric or substance16 may bel passed over the outside of the bottom 14 and around theflanges 15 so that it may be securely fastened over the cap when theflanges 15 are crimped over the ring 7. Thus the complete device of theinvention constitutes essentially two parts in contrast to four partswhich constituted the heretofore known tufting button.

In Fig. 4 there is diagrammatically disclosed a cross section of oneform of upholstered spring cushion to which the button of the inventionmay be applied but to which it is not restricted. In this cushionstructure a base 17 has the usual helical springs 18 mounted thereon andin turn support a pad 19 of stuffing material either directly or inconjunction with cross meinbers 20. Upholstery fabric 21 covers thestutling 19. To tuft a cushion of this kind it is necessary for theworkman to merely punch a hole through the fabric and stuling somewhereadjacent the top of one of the springs 18 or any connecting wires whichmay be associated with it and to then push the point 12 of the end 11through thishole. The inverted hook 13 is readily passed through thehole, the usual upholstery material 21 permittin its passage. The bodyof the spring or ot ier supporting structure is then forced between thehook 13 and the end 11 so that these members separate suiciently topermit passage of the spring whereupon the hook will engage around thespring and lock itself thereon as a sort of snap hook. The free end ofthe hook is curved toy provide a cam which engages the s ring or otherrod-like member for opening tiie hook and closing about such member. Thestrain exerted on the device is practically confined to the Wire membershown in Fig. 1`"so that there is no danger of separation of the capandits covering regardless of the abuse the cushion may receive. It is tobe noted that the single wire member is in effect a complete tuftingbutton and that the cap or shell serves principally to mount a coverfabric on the fastener. It will be apparent that the device is capableof facile and rapid manipulation and attachment so that a saving in timeand laboris had as well as a saving in cost of the manufacture of thearticle itself.

What is claimed is:

l. In a device of the class described the combination of a cap having anannular ange, a wire ring disposed Within the cap, covering materialdisposed over the cap and clamped between the flange and the ring and apair of co-operating arms comprising an insertable 'point and a hookboth formed integral with the ring.

2. A tufting button comprising 'a wire ring having integral arms turnedinwardly from the body of the ring and thence upwardly and a curved hookformed on one of said arms and resiliently abutting the other armintermediate its ends to form a nor- Lmally closed fastening means, anda cap member crimped about the body of the In a device of the classdescribed the combination with a cushion structure comprising springs,padding material over the s rings and a cover for the padding materlal,and a tufting button comprising a wire ring for engaging the coveringmaterial and integral arms extending through' the covering material andadding, one of said arms having a hook or engagement with the spring forcompressing the padding material between the ring and spring, the otherof said arms resiliently abutting the hook and precluding dislodgment ofthe spring from the hook.

4. The combination with an upholstered spring cushion comprising aresilient sprin structure, a pad and a cover in superpose relation, of atufting button comprising a ring forming a head for co-operation withthe cover and a pair of integral arms penetrating the cover and pad andforming a resiliently closed'hook for engagement with the springstructure, and a cover member clamped directly about the body of thering.

5. A tufting button comprising -a covered cap, a Wire ring crimped inthe cap by the body of said cap and integral arms on the tion from atransverse member.

` like body is force 6. As a new article of manufacture a tufting buttonexclusive of covering and comprising a4 single length of wire bentintermediate its ends to form a ring-like head, the ends of the wirebeing turned inwardly to the interior of the ring, then perpendicularlyto the plane ofthe ring, one of said ends being further turned toprovide an open hook, the other end'of the Wire forming an insertionpoint and a resilient closure Afor said open hook the free end of thehook being so curved as to provide a cam action for openin the hook whena rodagainst said curve' and then closing itself about such rod-likebody.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 8th day ofNovember, 1928.

ROY C. MANSON.

